A patriotic parade of red, white and blue made a strong showing on the red carpet at Sunday night's 85th Academy Awards outside Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. But it was the blinged-out gowns in unusual textures in everything from copper, gold, silver, blue and black that dazzled.

The award season's grand finale stroll glowed with sequins, crystals and beading in sexy and sophisticated silhouettes. Hair was styled in glamorous up-dos or worn down in soft curls, a lá a retro Hollywood look.

Exposed shoulders and bronzed skin was the norm as a number of actresses opted for strapless gowns. Naked necks were the trend, with elegant diamonds from Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels on many ears.

Still, it was Jennifer Lawrence in a strapless white gown with a tight bodice and a drop waistline that morphed into ballooning poufs, sans the bling, that took top honors. Her gown, too, featured textural touches.

“Everybody in my family got ready at my house, so I felt like Steve Martin in 'Father of the Bride,'” she told E!'s Ryan Seacrest, which was quite appropriate since her Dior haute couture gown looked a bit bridal but nonetheless perfect on the red carpet. She looked glamorous — and more so with her hair pulled into a back bun and a necklace draped down on her backside.

Charlize Theron, sporting a tomboy haircut — edgier and sexier than a pixie — also stole the red carpet spotlight in white, also by Dior couture. The gown, a two-piece design, looked like sculpted fondant icing with a structured peplum top embellished with sparkling crystals and a long skirt with a lovely, draped train. The result was simple and, because it was done in white, fashion forward and timeless.

So did Amy Adams in a sweetheart neckline gown that was fitted on top and then exploded into layers of ruffled, crumpled tulle, all in a pastel blue-gray for a fairytale effect, courtesy of Oscar de la Renta.

Red is always a popular choice among actresses, and this year the hue was worn beautifully by Sally Field and Kerry Washington because of the cut of the gown; Fields' gown, gathered at the waist with sheer sleeves and a sheer back, was stunning, as was Washington's Miu Miu dress with glittered bra top and the column gown in a coral red shade. Jennifer Aniston, a presenter, looked uptight in her strapless Valentino red number.

The biggest disappointment was Anne Hathaway in a pinkish column Prada dress that looked like she had a dream of a dream of wearing a dress that was anything but dreamy. On top it was an apron — and worse, the pointy darts on the gown's bust line were more Catwoman than Fantine.

“I didn't know what I was wearing until about three hours ago,” she told Seacrest. “This is the one that spoke to me in the end.”

Other regrettable gowns included Jane Fonda's Versace, which screamed Big Bird yellow. The design of her dress, with a corset of gold detailing, wasn't all that bad — but the color, which is a hard hue to carry off, was. She should have stuck with gold.

Jacki Weaver, in a crimson gown with matching gold embellishment on top and a mammoth ruffle at the bottom, was a travesty. Ditto for Olivia Munn's Marchesa selection, which was awkwardly draped and, in the rear, included a swathe that framed her derriere.

Melissa McCarthy never gets it right. Her David Meister platinum silk jersey gown with an asymmetrical neckline and scattered beaded accents was ill fitting. Even the gown's long sleeves needed tailoring.

Of course, there were many actresses who stood out, among them Chastain, who channeled Jessica Rabbit in a sexy Giorgio Armani Privé copper-toned silk satin strapless gown. The gown's design featured a geometric lattice-pattern mesh overlay of shimmering white sequins and Swarovski crystals. She, too, channeled a yesteryear hairdo with her locks falling into curls at the ends.

Watts, also in Armani Privé, was fully enveloped in layered gunmetal gray sequins. But it was the gown's abstract triangle cut out in the front that stood out. The fitted bodice cascaded into a slightly pooling train. Watts said she started working on the gown with Armani weeks ago (pay attention Hathaway) for a stunning result.